Drug addiction rife in prisons

Anthony Pratt is 33. A former heroin addict, he's on a drugs treatment programme. He takes a heroin substitute called Subutex, an opiate which like methadone is only available legally under supervision.

He was in prison earlier this year for dealing heroin. Subutex wasn't legally available in his prison. But it was, he says, everywhere - used by at least two thirds of all inmates.

Inside prisons the black market in the Subutex pill or 'subby' as its known is thriving. A market far bigger, perhaps, than anyone has acknowledged publicly to date.

It's extremely difficult to assess the true extent of subutex misuse in prisons. The only official investigation into this was conducted earlier this year by the prison service. Over two months ago we applied for the findings of that study under the Freedom of Information Act.

Twice the ministry of justice has emailed us to say they need more time to work out if releasing such information is in the interests of maintaining security and good order in prisons.

The problem is worrying enough, however, Channel 4 News has learned, for the prison service to ask Lifeline to produce a subutex information leaflet for prisoners.

The charity however is about to publish another - un-sponsored 'cruder version' which likens drug taking to having sex with prostitutes - and which although not advocating smuggling, advises prisoners: 'To avoid injury use strong, smooth packaging and put plenty of lubricant (eg.Vaseline) on your bum and on the object before insertion. '

The prison service have not put their name to this version - but they're aware, say Lifeline, that it will be circulated.

Subutex on the street goes for about £5 a pill. Inside it can sell for £40. Part of its popularity is that it's rarely tested for. Channel 4 News has learned that - despite the prison service being warned about this drug two years ago - 98 out of 140 prisons in England and Wales still do not routinely test prisoners for subutex.

The ministry of justice told Channel 4 News it takes the issue very seriously and will soon be issuing a report on its `growing concern about the potential misuse of subutex in prisons along with any actions to be taken. But this is a prison service - whose best statistics - estimate that the proportion of prisoners misusing drugs is just: 8.9 per cent.

And it's a prison service which - when faced with the need for 'Prison Service Potential Efficiency Savings' - has hardly prioritised drug testing, it seems. An internal memo passed to Channel 4 News is addressed to the governor of a large English prison by a member of staff - dated August this year it recommends cuts in 'half the number of Mandatory Drug Tests' and a 'total removal of voluntary drug test hours'.

Thanks to successful treatment under a programme run by the charity Addaction, Anthony Pratt is aiming to go drug-free soon for the first time in nearly 20 years. A man about to surrender a Subutex habit - the question is how many more will develop one the moment they step inside a prison?

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